In the present day, Isabel was in the corner observing a chaotic class. The professor shook his head in no way, stopping his students.
They all talk argued here and there. Isabel looked at her wristwatch that says five minutes before four.
Her grandmother asked her to meet this afternoon. She grew up having to deal with the mood switches of her Ama.
She won't be able to survive another traumatic punishment if she's late.
Looking at her phone, she got five missed calls from the old lady. Isabel glanced around and slipped out of the class.
It's the part that no one was learning from anybody, so she could use her time to see her grandma.
Staring at her granny's facial expression, it's closer to getting pissed. She was never wrong in calculating her elderly lady's temper.
Rushing and eyes focused on her grandma, she didn't see anyone approaching.
Blag!
"I'm sorry."
Isabel apologized and continued moving towards the cafe.
They have been in this situation before. Ama Shan tried matching her up with the grandsons of her friends.
Her grandma ignored her when she's still a kid.
She didn't want her to do the same, so she had to obey her as often as possible.
"Come and sit! Stay away from that kid."
Isabel wondered with what her grandmother said and then gave the person she bounced a look.
He had a tanned skin tone. She didn't get why Borreans view dark-skinned people as ugly. Not all Borreans think like that anymore, but most still were, like her grandmother.
"Ama! This is not Borres anymore. We can't do that to anyone here anytime we want to."
She winced in her grandmother's frame of mind.
Isabel had this idea that East Asian people have the concept that skin was a status symbol.
The analogy was that poor people have darker skin because they work under the sun. And working under the sun means hard labor.
She had heard that kind of discrimination before whenever old people gossips.
Her grandmother ignored what she said.
"Alright, have a seat."
Pointed at the vacant chair in front of her.
"You then see why you're here, right?"
Ama's eyebrows were flat and relaxed.
"I'm glad you come on agreed time,"
Isabel nodded in exasperation.
There's already a pot of tea waiting at the table. She couldn't understand why her grandma always chose the most bitter on the menu.
"Good, and why is your skin so dark? Don't you know too much sun exposure can cause skin cancer?"
The aged woman was scanning her like she's inspecting meat from the market.
That's correct, since her skin was so pale, it didn't produce enough melanin, so it was prone to skin cancer.
But she enjoyed the cold coffee than talking back to her grandmother.
"So wasteful."
She shook her head and pushed Isabel the cup of tea.
"Why not try this tea? It's delicious."
Grandma Shan knew she hated it, but that's the point. Ama was happy when she's miserable.
Isabel looked at her grandmother's cup. She barely even touched it.
"I need a cold drink Ama, I ran from my classroom,"
She explained, because sometimes her grandma listens.
"This is more refreshing." Her Ama insisted. Isabel rolled her eyes in secret.
She already had half of her tall drink when the person they're waiting for arrived. The guy that came to meet them was fresh out of a magazine.
She quietly stared at him from head to toe and back. He had phoenix eyes, a typical Asian skin tone and, were very tall for an Asian.
He was her type, so she acted extra demure and ladylike, groomed her hair a little, then sip from a straw, slightly looking down, lashes fluttered. She didn't know she looked obvious.
"Hi, my name is Phillip Lim."
He introduced himself.
Phillip Lim? The Phillip Lim that owns the technological empire, both in the United States and Asia? It confirmed her suspicion when he gave her his business card.
Oh, so he is that Phillip Lim.
"I-Isabel."
She slightly stammered because she was shy in front of a good-looking man. She wanted to appear hard to get, but her actions were doing the opposite.
"Relax, I won't eat you."
He chuckled. Every air that comes out of his mouth made her heart flutter, and it made her more clumsy.
"You're so cute."
He said while chuckling. Isabel didn't know if it's a compliment or an insult. But they talked and flirted, just basically had a good time together.
Most of what they chatted about was business and she didn't really understand all, but all she needed to do was laugh and listen. Phillip seemed to enjoy all the talking.
The next moment they were in his car and Isabel didn't know how did they end up kissing. Not that she's complaining.
Especially of how his tongue maneuvered hers. He cradled her hips. His touches created multiple currents, cutely electrocuted her.
"Your lips are sweet, Babe."
She bit her lower lip and giggled. If she's done these things when she's sixteen and if her grandma caught her, Ama might pinch her inner thigh and twist it hard. That torturous punishment is common to Asians.
Going back to the things they've been doing.
This was the best kiss she had, even though this was also the first. Phillip's kisses were like branding and marking her body, a little intense. Her spirit might not be on earth right now and was possibly hovering above the clouds.
The events were too fast. The next thing that happened, they had dinner and brought her to his apartment. She knew what will happen, but she just went with the flow.
They started kissing again, this time in his living room. Caught up in lustful innuendo, it would be hard for her to deny she liked what he's doing, because her moans were too loud.
Suddenly
Riiiiing!
"Shit!"
Why was it that his ringtone was also the wired phone's tone? Phillip tried to control his temper.
"I'm sorry, Honey, I'll have to bring you home. I have an important matter to attend to."
While his phone was sticking in his ears, he smiled apologetically, bends down, and kissed her one more time.
"Okay."
Though a little disappointed, she just nodded.
Her date with Phillip might be short, but she thought it's not a bad day at all.
She still was floating in the clouds when her grandma called to gossip.
"How's Lingling's boy?"
Her voice sounded like a creepy villain in some classic movie.
"Ama!"
She cringed every time she heard the old lady call Phillip a boy.
"His name is Phillip, okay?"
She couldn't stop smiling, thinking of him.
"Do you like him?"
Her grandmother couldn't contain her curiosity about her newfound relationship with Phillip Lim.
"I think he's brilliant."
Isabel subconsciously nodded.
"Very well. I thought you already have someone that you like. It's all good now. Take good care of your skin."
Grandma Shan talked a lot.
And sometimes it's for her well-being, sometimes nonsense, so she had to skip some.